Tubular structural member.



PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

H. 0. GAMMETER. TUBULAR STRUCTURAL MEMBER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1906.

INVNTOR,

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VVITNESSES:

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.HARRY C. GAMMETER,l OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TUBULAR STRUCTURAL MEMBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907'.

Application filed July 26, 1906. Serial No. 327,955.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY C. GAMMETER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Chio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tubular StructuralMembers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a struetural member (rod,column, shaft, brace, beam, tie, etc.) for use where great strength mustbe combined with extreme lightness in weight.

To this end the invention consists of a tubular structural member formedof sheet metal and rolled upon itself to present internal bracing.Combined with suchrolled tube may be a suitable connecting membermounted within the tube. These features of invention are hereinaftermore fully explained and are definitely summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my structural member,being partly broken away to show the connecting member. Fig. 2 is across section adjacent to such connecting member. Fig. 3 is a crosssection at another point, and Fig. 4 is a cross section showing thestructural member with the internal bracing amplified.

My structural member includes a tube rolled from sheet metal, preferablyhigh-grade steel, the intermediate portion of the sheet, designated l,making substantially a complete circumference and the two portions 2beyond this circumferential portion extending diametiically inwardacross the tube, the extreme portions 3 being turned outwardly in an arcto lie along the inner surface of the portion l. A suitable binder as awire l0 passing around the tube and having its ends twisted together,securely holds the structure against separation. When my structuralmember is used horizontally after the manner of a beam, the stress beingdownward, the diametrical portions 2 give the member the requiredstiffness and strength.

`Where my member is used as a column, or when the stress is in variousdirections, the portions 3 which lie on the inside of the main shell lmay be extended further within that shell, as shown in Fig. 4, and maybe turned inward at 4 and then further turned at 5 to lie alongside ofthe diametrical portions 2. This method oi forming the member may becarried as far as desired, the essential being that the member is rolledon itself from sheet metal to form a tubular structure internally bracedby portions of the sheet metal.

To furnish means for supporting my member, or making outside connectionstherewith, I provide the flat connecting plates 8 which are located atsuitable intervals, preferably between adjacent binders l0, and extendinwardly between the members 2 and are then turned outwardly at 9between the portions 3 and the shell l, as shown in Fig. 2. Outside ofthe tube,

I provide an eyelet 7 passing through the two plates 8 and securing themtogether. Connections may thus be made with the members at any desiredpoint.

After my tubular member is constructed, the same may be given the propertemper by heating 'and immersing in oil, as is well understood.

l claim:

-l. In a tubular structural member, the combination of a sheet metalshell bent to present nearly a complete periphery and having integralportions extending inwardly adjacent to each other, said integralportions continuing diametrically across the shell and being turnedoutwardly along the inner surface of the shell.

2. In a tubular structural member, the combination of a sheet metalshell having integral portions extendingl inwardly and continuing acrossthe shell and being turned outwardly in arcs along the inner surface ofthe shell, there being integral portions turned from the ends of thearc-shaped portions inwardly into engagement with the tirstanentionedportions.

3. A tubular structural member comprising a `shell with inturnedportions and a connecting plate lying between such portions.

4. A tubular structural member comprising a shell with inturneddiametric portions and a connecting plate lying between such portions,vsaid plate having its inner end turned to lie alongside of the shell andbeing held between it and the diametric portions.

5. The combination of a tubular member having a pair of parallelinturned integral portions, a connecting plate lying between suchportions and extending outside of the tube, and a binder passing aroundthe member.

G. '.L'he combination of a tubular member having a pair ot' parallelinturned integral portions, a connectingl plate lying between suchportions and extending outside of the tube, and an eyelet passingthrough such connecting plate.

T. A tubular structural member comprising a shell with inturneddiametric portions, combined with a pair of plates lying between suchportions, said plates having their inner ends turned to lie alongside ofthe shell and being held between it and the diametric portions, and aneyelet outside of the shell connecting said pair of plates.

8. The combination of a sheet metal member formed to present acylindrical exterior and having integral portions turned inwardlysubstantially diametrically, said integral portions being further turnedoutwardly parallel with the cylindrical portion, a connecting memberconsisting of a pair of plates between such diametrical portions, saidplates having their ends turned outwardly in opposite directions betweenthe cylindrical shell and the outward extensions of the dzunetricportions.

9. 'l'he combination of a sheet metal member formed to present n tubularshell with integral portions turned in wardly, such inturned portionsbeing,l extended parallel with the shell, a connecting memberConsistinf.;l of a pair of plates between such inturnecl portions, saidplates having Atheir ends turned and lying,l between the shell and theextensions of the inturned portions, an eyelet passing through said pairof plates and Wires passing 10 around the shell adjacent to theconnecting plates and binding the structure together.

ln testimony whereof, l hereunto affix Iny signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

HARRY C. GAMMETER.

Witnesses ALBERT H. BATES, S. E. FoU'ls.

